Little Bailie is pretty proud of herself and so are Katie, Mom and I. Bailie finished her Beginner Tracking Course on November 1. Katie and I went along to class with her on that morning and got to watch her run her last class track from our car. It was kind of a blind track and around 600 yards long.
What all did Bailie learn?
- The beginner tracking class started out with just straight short tracks of about ten yards long and then extended out to one hundred yards.
- The first sessions used treats along the track to keep the focus but starting in week four, treats were replaced with articles. Bailie is really into tracking, so she stopped getting treats and/or articles on her tracks altogether. She gets just an article to sniff at the start, and then the article to find at the end. When she finds the end article, she is rewarded with high value treats.
- Along the way, turns were introduced, right angle left and right turns, acute angle turns, and open angle turns. Track distance was also increased up to around four hundred to five hundred yards in length.
- The aging of tracks was also introduced for up to an hour. Aging actually helps concentrate the scent on the trail as it settles out of the air and is not blown around as much by the wind in time. Most humans think aging makes a track more difficult, but a couple hours or less make it a bit easier for dogs.
- The classes pretty much give out the information and “how to”, but practicing on your own is where you really learn.
What is next for Bailie?
- She and Mom will continue to run a variety of tracks several times a week and hopefully meet up with some other trackers to work together laying tracks for each other and helping each other out with tips.
- Mom and Bailie want to work towards tracking titles and the first step is to get certified by a judge. They hope to do this in the next two months or so. The certification is to prove that you have what it takes to pass a Tracking Dog test.
- Hopefully in late February or early March they will travel to a warmer destination and take their TD (Tracking Dog) test and pass.
- Yes, tracking can be done in the snow so they will be practicing in the winter. We don’t use our eyes to track at all, so the fact that there is a trail in the snow doesn’t help us at all. This is hard for humans to wrap their brains around, but it is true.
The video above is a two part short video of Bailie tracking. The first part was taken from the Sony Action Cam mounted on Bailie, the second part was taken with Mom’s phone as she ran behind Bailie. Video is nearly impossible to get because Bailie is extremely fast. If you have motion sickness issues, this video may not be for you! You may see a couple orange clothespins with colored flags, those are turn markers along the track for Mom to use since her nose really isn’t much help. Bailie’s instructor said Bailie is one of the faster dogs and will most likely do her TD test in about four minutes, most dogs take six to eight. We will see. Speed is not the goal, passing is. Please keep in mind, Mom’s goal was to remain upright, keep an eye on Bailie, and video, not easy to do, and if the camera was mounted on her, it would be even worse, so I apologize for the quality, but it is the best we could do.
One last thing on tracking for today. Bailie’s instructor posted this quote in a tracking group we are in and it is so perfect to describe tracking with a dog.
In almost all dog sports, we talk and the dog listens. We direct and the dog obeys. In tracking, the dog speaks and we listen. The only way we can make a true tracking team is if we learn to understand the dogs language instead of vice versa, if we give up being in charge and trust this being to lead us. To get a Tracking title means you have given up control and trusted your partner and he/she did all that you wanted and more. It’s magical.
I’m co hosting the FitDog Friday Blog Hop with SlimDoggy, and To Dog With Love! Please join us on Fridays to share your fitness stories with others, find new ways to have fun, and new fitness ideas too! Tell your friends to stop by as well – fit dogs are healthier, happier dogs!I’m co hosting the FitDog Friday Blog Hop with SlimDoggy, and To Dog With Love! Please join us on Fridays to share your fitness stories with others, find new ways to have fun, and new fitness ideas too! Tell your friends to stop by as well – fit dogs are healthier, happier dogs!
Well done Bailie, looks like you are having the most fun!!!
Bailie is a tracking maniac!
congratulations and well done – on to the next test now
She is studying hard for her TD title. Hope she gets it on the first try in the spring.
Congratulations and well done to you.
Have a fabulous Friday.
Best wishes Molly
Bailie say thank you. She just loves to track!
Way to go!
Thanks from Bailie!
BRAVO Bailey. WELL DONE.
She is really pawsome at tracking!
I think Mom deserves the award for keeping up.
Emma, your sister is amazing! How great to have such a talented sister like Bailie. Congratulations to your mom for allowing Bailie to have control. Job well done. I, on the other hand, had a very bad day. It took my mom over 20 minutes to catch me (in the house) so she could put me in my hallway so she could go to her warm water arthritis class. I was really bad and she was really mad because I would not give her control. She was late to her class… XOXO Sparkle the PBGV
Katie used to do that kind of misbehaving. Bailie and I haven’t tried it.
I know you would never do that, Emma. Bailie on the other paw…. Sparkle
Bailie is a whole different dog! We never know for sure what she might be up to!
This is so interesting. I think Maggie would love this – she’s my sniffer, stopping every 6 inches to sniff something else and she clobbers Jack at find the food. Well done Bailie.
She probably would love it and be good at it.
Hi Y’all!
Congratulations Bailey! I love the idea of the Human havin’ to listen to ME!
Y’all come by now,
Hawk aka BrownDog
That is the great thing about tracking and nose work, humans have no choice but to trust us!
Congratulations! It was great to watch you Bailie. I first got nearly drunken, but it would like it so much to run with you on this track :o)
Bailie loves to go top speed and see if she can kill mom in the process!
Great job Bailie, that is so awesome!
We are proud of her. Now she has to get that first title.
Tracking sounds like a lot of fun for Bailie! I can relate to your mom’s struggles to stay upright and keep up with the pup! Barley’s going to have me in shape for Olympic sprinting with the speed she’s getting in agility class! If I don’t stay with her, she gets crazy, so there’s not much sending to obstacles and I just have to run fast! Good thing your mom is a runner anyway.
Mom is a distance runner, not a sprinter, so it is challenging!
Congratulations to Bailie and Mom! It looks like they make a great team. The videos were good, I liked the two different perspectives. How long is the leash that Bailie is on? It’s hard to judge from the video and I was just curious. Can’t wait to hear how they do when it’s time for the next step…I imagine they’ll be working very hard in the meantime.
She has a 40 ft line with a marker at 20ft, so Mom can get a rough idea how far ahead Bailie is.
Bravo Bailie! Ya done good pretty girl!
Shes says thank you.
Congratulations kiddo
Lily & Edward
Thank you!
Keeping up with Bailie makes it Fitdog Everyday. As I’ve said before, it’s been cool following your progress. Great to see that all the effort has paid off.
Bailie is on record speed course. Sometimes she overruns corners because she is so fast, but she cruises around and finds the right direction.
We are so proud of Bailie! Pierre wants to know if he can show her photo and report her success on the BFTB NETWoof News ~ Sports on Monday? *Clapping paws and wagging tails ♥
Most definitely. Bailie would be very proud, Pierre!
You go Girl! your doodle friend Lilly!!
Go is her favorite word!
Way to go Bailie!
She is a tracking cruiser!
Wow, that’s so cool. I think this would be fun to do with Ace, although he would get worn out. Looks like Bailie absolutely loves it! I like the video. That’s really interesting that the scent actually becomes easier for a dog after an hour or two. I didn’t know that. I also didn’t know dogs don’t track at all with their eyes, even in the snow. Very interesting! Your’e right, it’s hard to wrap my head around that!
Mom ran a 150 yd track in the snow with Bailie on Tuesday and Bailie did not stay in the footprints all the time, which proves she isn’t using those. Mom just had to see it for herself. Tracking is a better sport for younger dogs because there is a lot of walking in all kinds of terrain, but older dogs do track as well. Odor also doesn’t need to be aged in the winter as the cold temps do something to it so it doesn’t matter like when it is warm out.
Congrats!!! So proud!!!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
Thank you.
Yay Bailie! I bet you would love truffle classes too if there were any near you.
Gramma told Bailie she should be a truffle hound!
Great “Footage”, Joy, and she sure looked like she was having the time of her life!
She just loves tracking and can’t get enough of it. She doesn’t need treats along the way, or anything, she just enjoys following scent.
Congrats Bailey and mom that is great. Great video!
Thank you. Mom is just happy she hasn’t been injured yet trying to keep up with Bailie and her speed!
Bailie, looks like you are having a lot of fun and getting a ton of exercise for you and Mom. Good work 🙂
Nose work is a sport for everyone, but tracking is for dogs and humans that are able to get out and move, especially with speed Bailie.
This was so interesting to learn more about tracking classes. I loved watching Bailie in the video just follow her nose and ‘be a dog’. This would be so much fun to do and great exercise too. Sharing! Congrats Bailie!
Nose work and tracking are all about letting us just be dogs. Obedience is not allowed, we just follow our noses and it is so much fun as well as a serious mental workout!
Wow, Bailey is such an impressive tracker! Look at her run! And she’s so fast too! HOW COOL
She is a serious speed devil!
Awesome, we’re so proud of you too!! 😀
Bailie is such a natural tracker. It is amazing to watch her go.
Great job, Bailie! Love your video, too!
We are proud of her, wish it was easier to get a good video, but it is the best we can do.
Congrats to Bailie on finishing her course and good luck with your test. I know how hard it is to take video of fast moving dogs…lol. I think yours came out great! Hope to hear more about your training.
There will be more as we train and move forward.
That was so cool to watch. Way to go Bailey.
It almost gives one motion sickness as she is so fast!